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General Skinny pig skin care

Rayen

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I've been finding the odd scratch on my skinny pig, they typically go away pretty quickly but is there anything I should be doing to help him out with them? Should I be cleaning them with anything when I see them? I cut his nails about once every two weeks or so, and do file them down so there aren't any sharp edges.

I use a little bit of fragrance-free Aveeno on my hairless rats in the winter (which was recommended on a few different rat forums I went to), is it safe to use on guinea pigs as well, or is there a different moisturizer I can use on him? It gets very cold here in the winter, which means that the heaters are going to be on full force soon which also means dry skin for everyone.
 

foggycreekcavy

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Normally, a guinea pig wouldn't have actual wounds unless there was a reason. Perhaps it could be because he has no hair to "cushion" the skin when he scratches? Are you sure he doesn't have mites?

Don't use the Aveeno. You can use extra virgin coconut oil on him.

You might want to invest in a humidifier.
 

Vetmedizon

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What kind of scratch? If its a wound then first, place your cavy in the sink after clean the affected area and after place a cream for wounds and specializes in small animals like rodents. DO NOT USE AVEENO. And can also use Cetaphil ( Deep facial cleanser) for moisturizing and also for removing greases of the little pigs. Thanks :)
 

Rayen

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Is there any particular reason to not use Aveeno? It has been recommended to me before by vets as well, just not for guinea pigs (granted, I never asked). Is there something in the ingredients that reacts badly with them? I use Aveeno on my own hands, should I be washing my hands before handling the guinea pigs? I've never heard of it causing any major problems before, so I'm curious.

I will try to get some coconut oil, I'm just concerned that it's going to end up being a pain. Does it absorb fairly quickly? I wouldn't want something that's going to sit on his skin for a longer period of time, I can't imagine that being very comfortable.

While I certainly can't say I'm 100% positive they don't have mites, neither of my guinea pigs show any obvious signs of them. They don't scratch often, they're not missing any fur, they don't have an unusual number of sores. My skinny pig just gets the odd little scratch maybe once a month? I'm not entirely sure where they're coming from, it could very well be that I'm not doing an entirely awesome job of filing his nails down. :(
 

foggycreekcavy

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(broken link removed)

Here are some reasons not to use the Aveeno.

Coconut oil comes as a solid, but melts immediately on contact with skin. It's not greasy or oily, and rubs right in very nicely.

Coconut oil has antifungal properties, as well.
 

Melissa123

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I only use coconut oil for my skinny. She had quite a few scratches on her when I first got her, they've all healed up nicely!! It also keeps their skin nice and soft. The drier the skin, the more scratches they will get.
 

Beth Pearson

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I use coconut oil only on both of my skinny girls. I agree with [MENTION=27623]Melissa123[/MENTION], the more dry, the more scratches. I oil once a week; more if they look like they're drying out :)
 
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